Road machine



Dec. 26, 1939.

c. G. FULLER ROAD MACHINE Filed Nov. 3, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I awwzzamzz M PM Dec. 26, 1939.

C. G. FULLER I ROAD MACHINE Filed Nov. 8, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 26, 1939. c. G. FULLER 2,134,913

ROAD MACHINE Filed Nov. 8, 1937 A 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 26, 193

UNITED STATES ROAD MACHINE Cornell G. Fuller, Barnwell, S. 0., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, of one-third to William K. Beclrham, Columbia, S. 0., and onethird to Frank E. Armstrong, Greenville, S. 0.

Application November 8, 1937, Serial No. 173,502

Claims. (Cl. 94-44) This invention relates to road building machinery and particularly to machines for mixing, spreading and smoothing road surfacing mate-- rial such as asphalt, asphalt compositions and concrete or any other material of a spreadable nature which has been deposited on the road-bed ahead of the machine.

The primary object is to provide a machine of the maintainer type for mixing, spreading, smoothing and crowning a layer of surfacing material on the entire width of a highway in one pass. Another object is to provide a maintainer machine which may be guided along curves or irregularities with ease and accuracy from the rear and 'which may also be adjusted for spread ing material to any desired thickness on the roadbed with ease while in operation without stopping the work.

An important object is to provide a flexible smoothing blade and means for changing the curvature of theblade at will to correspond to desired changes of the crown of the road for example at curves and this While the machine is in motion.

A specific object is to provide a novel means mits adjustment of the vertical curvature of the blade.

Another object of the invention is to provide a set of "adjustable distributor blades which may be raised or lowered in accordance with the desired thickness of the surfacing material or may be turned to throw the material in onedirection or the other as required to fill the depressions in the road-bed.

A further object is to provide a Wide road machine that spreads a layer of surface material the entire width of the road-bed of any desired thickness and crown and having a smooth even edge or border so that after the machine passes the only thing remaining to be done to finish the surface is the rolling.

In carrying out the objects of my invention I provide what is essentially a double maintainer made up of two machines connected together side by side and each consisting of a maintainer frame of substantially standard type but being supported on each side just short of the rear end by a steerable and vertically adjustable wheel and each supported at the front on a two-wheeled truck to which it is connected by a fifth wheel arrangement. The trucks are loosely connected tothe corners of a triangular towing attachment or hitch for coupling to a tractor. The machines are detachably tied together at the rear by clamping the rear ends of the frames between a rigid main beam resting on top of both frames just back of the rear wheels and a flexible crowning blade hanging below the frames. The clamping bolts are arranged so that the curvature of the blade and thereby the crown of the road may be changed at will by varying the tension or compression of different clamping bolts. In addition to the usual fixed blades provided on the forward portion of the maintainers I attach'a set of vertically adjustable blades just in rear of said fixed blades and in front of the crowning blade whereby permitting a better control of the thick- 1 ness of the surfacing material. When necessary to move the machine from one job to another the frames are easily detached from the towing triangle and the beam and blade arrangement is unclamped from the rear of the frames which now may be connected in tandem and towed to the new location. It is an extremely simple'matter to connect the frames together again in parallel formation to make a road-wide machine which may be quickly attached to a tractor and drawn along a road-bed for mixing and spreading material which has been deposited ahead of the machine.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the road machine.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the rear portion of the machine.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the machine.

. Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the V- spreaders detached from the machine.

Figure 7 is a side view of the front portion of the machine.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the crowning blade and the auxiliary blade, parts broken away, showing the auxiliary blade moved downwardly below the crowning blade.

The machine consists of two maintainer frames l0 and I2 arranged side by side as best shown in Figure l which frames are pivotally supported at the front by a fifth wheel connection with two trucks l4, l6, respectively, in a manner common to road machines of this type. The trucks are connected to opposite corners of a draft triangle l8 used for coupling the machine to a tractor.

Each frame is supported at the rear by two wheels 20, 2|, and 22, 23 which turn on axles carried respectively by the cross heads 24 that are adapted to be moved vertically in the uprights 25 by means of the hand wheels 26, 21, 28 and 28, thereby to adjust the height of the rear end of the frames above the road surface on which the wheels roll. Instead of hand wheels and screws 1 may use hydraulic rams at these points in a well known manner to raise or lower the cross heads. The heights of the front corners of the frames are respectively controlled by the hand wheels 3!, 32, 3'5 and 3 3 which are coupled to turn the windlasses 35 and 37 to reel or unreel the cables 38 and 39, thereby varying the respective distances between the corners of the frames and the gooseneck frames or supporting members 4i and 42. The arms of the goose neck are hinged to the frames at M a considerable distance from the front ends to permit a more flexible adjustment of the frames and the goose necks are connected to the trucks M and H5 preferably by ball and socket joints thus permitting complete free angular movement of the frames about their respective longitudinal axes so that the frames may be adjusted for following or producing any desired crown of the roadway.

Toward the front of the machine there are two pairs of opposed diagonal blades 45 rigidly secured to the underside of the front ends of the frames 3'3 and i2 and having forwardly projecting wings 113 flanking the trucks Hi and iii. The two members of each pair of blades are connected together by a transverse beam M which carries the lower pulleys 18 of the above mentioned cables and the center of each beam is connected to its truck by means of a chain 49. Directly to the rear of the outlet 58 between the adjacent ends of each pair of blades 45 is located a V-scraper iii having its point facing the outlet these V -scrapers fare also rigidly secured to the underside of the frames and are located so as to throw the material received from said outlets toward the wings 53 of a second set of opposed diagonal blades 54 which are likewise fixedly secured to the underside of the frames is and i2.

Just behind each pair of the second set of blades it is located a V-scraper or spreader 55 having hinged to its point 5% a distributor vane 57 extending forwardly almost to the discharge opening 58 between the blades 5 A hand lever 55] is provided for moving and setting each vane 5? as desired to throw more or less of the material on different sides of the V. The height of the V-spreaders 55'; above the road bed may be adjusted as desired by the hand wheels 60, one near the point 55 and two near the ends of the arms, which hand wheels are connected to the screws that support the We on the cross bars 6i secured to the underside of each frame.

The J-spreaders 55 each consists of two blades bolted on the outside of the vertical flanges 62 of the two angle irons 63 joined together at one end 58 and held apart in V-shape bya bar 6 welded to the horizontal flanges 65 of the angle irons; the angle irons and cross bar 8% constitute a sturdy sub-frame for carrying the blades. The screws of two of the hand-wheels 60 are connected to the bar 5:3 while the screw of, a third handwheel 68 is connected to the two flanges 65 where they are welded together toward the point 55, so that either corner or the entire sub-frame with the blades may be raised or lowered at will by the proper manipulation of the hand wheels.

Figure 3 best shows how the rear ends of the two frames are coupled together by a main beam 10 which is long enough to extend entirely across the ordinary roadway, say sixteen or twenty feet or even longer when necessary. The beam ill rests on the two insideframe members '12 and i3 and is prevented from slipping rearwardly by stops or by the upper part 14 of the lever arms I5 carried on bolts 16 which are preferably held in sleeves Ti welded to the frame members as at 78. The beam H! as shown may be built up of a pair of relatively wide plates 80 secured together in spaced relation as by welding to the vertical spacer blocks 8! distributed at regular intervals along the beam, and stiffened by welding to each lower margin an angle iron 82. Stops 83 may be secured to the frames just in front of the beam to prevent the beam from creeping forward.

Each of the spacer blocks 8| may be hollow or bored for slidably receiving the bolts 85 and 86 which support at their lower ends a flexible smoothing or crowning blade 98 connected to said bolts by loose hinge connections 9! and also connected to the outside frame members 92 and 93 by similar hinge connections. By the proper manipulation of the nuts 95, jam nuts 95 and hand wheels 93 the flexible smoothing blade 90 may be given any desired curvature corresponding to the existing crown of the road or to a predetermined crown to be put on the road; the blade may also be straightened and raised at one end or the other for banking the surface. Most of the setting of the blade is done by means of the hand wheels 93 so that the curvature and/ or tilting of the blade may be changed without stopping the machine. For example, as the machine rounds a bend the curvature of the blade may be regulated to follow the changing crown of the road, from a maximum at the beginning of the bend to a minimum at the banked middle and then gradually back to a maximum as the road becomes straight again, it being understood that the machine travels at a relatively slow or walking speed. At the middle of the bend the surface is sometimes almost flat but tilted or banked and the blade, after being straightened, is raised on one end or the other to produce this banked effect on the layer of surfacing material being applied.

Referring to Figure 5 it will be seen that the blade 95 is built up of several parts including a pair of angle irons I09 clamping between their downwardly directed flanges Ifil a number of short lengths 163 of steel blade spaced slightly at the ends as shown at I95 so as to permit springing of the scraper or blade to any desired vertical curvature. The main angle irons I08 are held together in addition by the bottom plates Iii? of the hinge connections 9! which plates are secured to the horizontal flanges I09 by bolts H and these bolts serve also to secure in place the upwardly extending aprons H2 used to prevent material from flowing over the top of the blade. The blade sections H33 are each provided at the top with elongated apertures H3 to accommodate the clamping bolts or rivets H4 and each section also has a short slot H substantially in its center for loosely receiving the bolts I [6 which support the stop ill; the loose connection permits free adjustment of the blade curvature. The stop ll? consists of an angle iron extending substantially the length of the blade and having its horizontal flange I I3 positioned so that when the blade 90 swings backward due to material pressure the flange engages the face plates H9 welded to the forward noses of the T downwardly projecting arms I20 of the levers I5. At the ends of the blade 90 (Figures 2 and 3) is secured an apron assembly I24 comprising a strip of relatively heavy steel sheet I25 bent at about 90 and having in its lateral arm I28 horizontal slots I21 for receiving the securing bolts I28 which slots permit the apron to be adjusted in or out on the blade end as desired. The forward arm of the apron piece I25 carries on the inside on a bolt I30 an auxiliary blade or apron I3I which blade has a curved steel slipper I33 Welded to its forward rounded corner. A vertical lever arm I34, riveted to the auxiliary blade I3I, is connected to the beam I0 through a spring 5 I35 for the purpose of keeping the heel I36 firmly pressing against the road-bed at all times regardless of the swinging of the crowning blade 90.

The blade 98 is kept in a substantially vertical position by the double levers I5 each having its horizontal arms supported by the springs I38 carried on the cross arm I31 of a standard I38 rising from the shoe I 39 which slidably rests on the I-beam of the main frame. In order to increase the resistance of the lever against backward swinging of the blade 90 it is necessary only to slide the standard I 38 forward and shift the lower ends of the springs I36 to the desired notch I40. A stop I4I above the long arms of the lever I5 prevents the lever from swinging the blade 9!] forward from the vertical, and a long horizontal bolt I42 carried in each bracket I43 serves as an adjustable stop for limiting rearward swinging of the blade 90 due to pressure of the material against the face of the blade.

By screwing these bolts I42 forward the proper distance the blade 90 may be prevented from turning on its hinges and in effect becomes a rigid blade.

In order to avoid changing the curvature of the blade 90 at curves I find it desirable to provide an auxiliary straight blade I50 directly in front of and against the crowning blade. This auxiliary blade I50 is relatively narrow and has a straight edge so that when lowered by the supporting screws I5I and I52 it annuls the crowning effect that would otherwise be produced by the blade 80. The screws I5I and I52 also permit the blade I to be tilted as desired to produce the proper bank at turns.

50 The rear end of the machine may be accurately guided by the steering wheel I60, the driver preferably sitting on a seat IGI conventionally shown in Figures 1 and 2. The steering wheel is connected to the rear wheels by the usual reducing 55 mechanism IBI', drag link I62, cross shaft I03 and steering knuckles I66 and I6! as best shown in Figure 1.

In order to facilitate movement of the machine along the highways from one job to another the two maintainers I0 and I2 are usually disconnected and drawn separately or sometimes in tandem, the beam I8 and blade 90 being loaded lengthwise on one of the frames and the frames being elevated by proper manipulation of the hand wheels 26 to 29 and 3I to 34 so that the blades will clear all obstructions in transit. Upon arrival at the place of use the two maintainers are positioned side by side the proper distance apart and connected at the front to the triangle I8 or other suitable device for coupling to a tractor or other draft machine. The beam I0 is now laid across the ends of the frames in front of the upper parts 14 of the lever arms I5 and the blade 90 is slid under the raised frames or the blade is put on the ground and the machine backed up until the beam is directly over it when the frames are lowered while the bolts and B6 are held in a vertical position to pass through the spacers 8| in the main beam 88. The nuts 94, jam nuts 95 and hand wheels 96 are now, positioned and turned until the blade has approximately the desired curvature.

By working the hand wheels 3| to 34 which control the front and the hand wheels 26 to 29 which control the rear wheels of the machines the 10 desired elevation and tilt of the frames and thereby the tilt and elevation of the rigidly connected blades 45, 5i, and 54 is obtained. The V-spreader 55 is now adjusted to the proper elevation and tilt by operation of the hand 15 wheels 60. Finally the desired elevation and curvature of the crowning blade is obtained by adjusting the hand wheels 96 and perhaps further adjusting the nuts 94 and jam nuts 95.

Four men are usually required for operating 20 the machine after it is properly adjusted, one man driving the pulling tractor, one man steering the rear wheels, one man handling the control levers 59 for adjusting the distributing blades 51 and one man attending the hand ,wheels and bolts 25 controlling the crowning blade 90. On a straight road there is practically no attention required except for guiding the tractor and the rear wheels but upon reaching a bend where the crown begins to change the man in charge of the 30 blade 9% is kept fairly busy, however, due to the slow speed of the machine the four men can easily handle the machine.

It being assumed that the material such as stone or gravel, sand and asphalt has been 35 roughly spread on the road-bed ahead of the machine the surfacing operation is started. The front blades 45 gather the material in a windrow then the V-blades 5I split the windrow and again spread the material but the blades 54 gather it up 40 a second time into a windrow which is divided according to the adjustment of the distributing vanes 57 and spread a third time by the adjustable V-spreader 55. The blade 90 now completes the spreading and smoothing of the material 45 and also gives the surface the proper crown. The apron assembly I24 trims and smoothes the borders thus avoiding the expense of having workmen follow the machine for this purpose, and also saving an appreciable amount of 50 material from being wasted which often happens where some road machines throw the material beyond the defined road-bed leaving a very ragged border. After my machine passes over the road bed nothing more is necessary to put the 55 surface in a finished condition except the rolling operation.

What I claim is:

1. In a road machine a transverse smoothing blade hingedly suspended in said machine in 60 operating position, a forwardly projecting apron, an element secured to the smoothing blade and projecting upon one side of the same, a horizontal pivot connecting the element and apron so that the apron turns about a horizontal axis and 6 spring means tending to turn the apron about its pivot thereby keeping the heel of the apron in firm contact with the ground, said pivot permitting the blade to turn on its hinge support without raising the apron ends. 70

2. In a road machine, a wheeled frame, surface treating apparatus carried under the frame, a crowning blade carried under the rear end of the frame for producing a given crown on the road surface, an auxiliary blade having a straight 75 edge and mounted in "front of and against said crowning blade the crowning blade and the straight edge blade both extending transversely of the line of movement of the machine, and means for lowering said auxiliary blade to prevent the effect of the crowning blade.

3. In a road machine, a pair of wheeled frames each having its two side beams projecting rearwardly beyond the back wheels, a bracket secured to and extending below each projection near the end, a smoothing blade extending across said frames and hinged to the underside of the outside beams only of said frames and means including adjustable stops carried in said brackets for limiting the turning of the blade on its supporting hinges.

4. The device of claim 3 in which said means includes a lever pivoted on said beam extensions above said brackets and having an arm reaching down behind said blade and spring means for resisting backward swinging of the arm into contact with said stop.

5. In a road machine having a frame and a blade hingedly supported beneath the frame: a beam extending longitudinally of and forming one side of the frame, a bell crank having a horizontal arm extending along the beam and having the-other arm extending downwardly behind the blade to be engaged thereby when the blade swings backward, and spring means adjustably supported on the beam and connected to the horizontal-arm to resiliently resist turning of the crank.

6. The device of claim 5 in which said spring means is slidably supported on the beam whereby the effective length of the horizontal arm may be changed by slidably adjusting the spring means along the beam.

'7. In a road machine, a wheeled frame, surface treating means carried by the frame, a crowning blade carried by the frame, an auxiliary strike-off blade carried by the frame and arranged adjacent to the crowning blade and having a straight edge and to be used in producing a banking surface or the like, and the crowning blade and the auxiliarystrike-off blade both extending transversely of the line of movment of the machine and separate devices connected with the ends of the strike-off blade to angularly adjust the strike-01f blade and lower the same so that its straight edge assumes an elevation below the high portion of the edge of the crowning blade.

8. In a road machine, a wheeled frame, surface treating means carried by the frame, a crowning blade carried by the frame, and having its longitudinal axis extending transversely of the line of movement of the frame, an auxiliary blade carried by the frame and arranged adjacent to the crowning blade and having its longitudinal axis extending transversely of the line of movement of the frame, said auxiliary blade having a straight edge, and means to lower the auxiliary blade so that the straight edge assumes an elevation below the high portion of the edge of the crowning blade.

9. In a road machine, a wheeled frame, a gen erally horizontal beam rigidly mounted upon the wheeled frame and having its longitudinal axis arranged transversely of the line of movement of the wheeled frame, a blade having its longitudinal axis extending longitudinally of the beam, hinged means having a turning axis extending longitudinally of the blade and serving to mount the blade upon the beam, and yielding means engaging the rear portion of the blade to oppose the rearward swinging movement of the blade. 1

10. In a road machine, a wheeled frame, a beam rigidly secured to the wheeled frame and having its longitudinal axis extending transversely of the line of movement of the frame, a crowning blade arranged near the beam and having its longitudinal axis extendingilongitudinally of the beam, adjustable means to longitudinally flex the crowning blade and including hinged means for connecting the crowning blade with the beam, the turning axis of the hinged meansextending longitudinally of the blade, and yielding means to oppose the rearward swinging movement of the crowning blade.

CORNELL G. FULLER. 

